Andrew R.
Just got in from the Pepsi Arena. Tonights show was quality, best described as "mellow", due probably to its average setlist....I guess I was just hoping to hear some songs which I haven't heard yet. This is my first time posting to Nancies, so I will keep it only to my top highlights from the show. 12.09.00 Highlights: JTR outro--Amazing, new found respect for this song...#41--At the end Dave stuck in an "Everyday" outro to plug the new album...I was diggin' it...Too Much--I'm not sure if anyone noticed it, but Dave started it off with a short tease of "Heathcliff's Haiku Warrior"! I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure...oh and Grace Is Gone--I'm loving this song more and more each time I hear it, Dave added a "Pay For What You Get-Esque" "This is a quiet number, it's called Grace Is Gone". Finally--The Lights---They have done an impressive job making the lights a part of the show...Big props tonight go to the lighting crew. They don't get enough credit for what they do. Looking forward to MSG 12.13! Much love to my girlfriend, Jen, she wants to go to bed now...G'night y'all!

Ben I.
A good show, no doubt, but leaving much room for improvement. My first gripe: Warehouse seating, in the top of the lower bowl, opposite side of the arena from the stage? What? I'm already a second year member, and all the other seats I've gotten were on the floor, 16 or 18 rows back. Second gripe: Set list. Blah. There should be a law against playing Crash, Satellite, DDTW, and WWYS, (even if it is a good rendition, like tonight) in one show on grounds of being a human rights violation. Third: Sound. Maybe I was feelin' a little funny off all that second hand smoke, but the opening act, (more on that in a minute), was real loud, and when our boys came out with OSW, I could barely hear them. The volume seemed to increase as the show went on, but still, the bass was flacet, to say the least, and the mid was muddy. Now, on to The Funky Meters. A good band, in a "I wish we were Phish" kinda way, but far too much on the keyboards. The crowd seemed disinterested in them, which is a shame, because they were clearly talented musicians. However: Opening with OSW was a shock, yet an excellent choice for a mellow show. It really threw the audience; they had no idea what the hell they were hearing. Highlights were the new "Everyday" outro to #41, incredible, JTR, Grace, and Bartender. I cannot decide which of those I prefer, but I hope they never get released. Beauty like that cannot be done justice in a studio, nor on the radio. And in case I failed to mention it already, Satellite, Crash, and DDTW should be banned. It's insulting to everybody there when a bunch of 12 year olds scream out "I'm the king of the castle", yet the entire arena sits down during Grace is Gone. I wanted to scream obscenities, and thinking about it, I'm sure I did. At least Crash, DDTW, and Satellite provide good bathroom breaks. Stefan and Leroi saved the show IMHO. Don't get me wrong, it was a good concert, but I expected more from our favorite band.

Colin S.
A good solid show, but missing the something special I was hoping for. OSW- I don't like this that much, I've heard better intros and there wasn't much jamming. GRANNY- So glad to finally hear this without it being corrupted by the lovely ladies. More and more people know this every time I see it. SATELLITE- Dave stopped after a few seconds to retune his guitar. Another standard version LIOG- This seems to be missing something without Butch- he compliments Boyd nicely, and his solo seemed a little empty, but still amazing. CRASH- The crowd loves it, so whatever... BARTENDER- A lot of people left for the bathroom for this one, and they'll continue to if these songs aren't released. People don't pay attention to unreleased songs, and it's a shame because they're all very good. TRUE- Boyd has sung a song at every show this tour, and this one really got the crowd into it. This has really grown in popularity, and tonite's solos by Boyd and LeRoi ripped it up. Much more room for jamming without the ladies present. JTR- The lighting at the end of this is amazing. More people got into this than they did for Bartender. DDTW- See "CRASH"... GRACE- Pretty much everyone sat down or ran for a beer, which is a shame because if the song were released it would constantly be on the radio and everyone would be yelling for it. #41- I think this "Everyday" outro is similar to the "Too Much" outro used on Recently before the release of Crash- to give people a taste of a new song before playing it live in full. TOO MUCH- I expected this to be the closer, but I was glad it wasn't. Not as funky without Butch, but definitely still rockin'. JIMI- Dave's solos are getting longer, he looks funny trying to be a rock star with his guitar solos and whatnot, but he's definitely improving. This went right into WWYS, which was so energetic and featured a kick-ass LeRoi solo. Great set closer. Dave and Carter came out for XMAS SONG. I'm pretty sure Dave introduced it as "This is NOT a love song," so I hoped that meant he would then play "This IS a love song" (Halloween.) No luck there, but still a sweet version of t he only song of the night I hadn't seen live before. WATCHTOWER was a great closer as always, but a lot of people were leaving during it. What's wrong with them? In conclusion a good but not spectacular show. I'd rank it behind 7.9.00, 7.8.00 and 5.29.99 but ahead of 8.8.99 and 7.31.98 (the shows I've been to.)

Incognito(Joe L.
when dave came in to help the meters with iko iko-i knew the night would be wonderful. and let me tell you, it was. the musical intro to one sweet world was a touch to get the night underway. dave and his band sounded great right from the getgo. granny gave the fans something to cheer about with its upbeat tempo and great lyrics. dave smoothed it out with the lighters all lit as he played satellite- what a great song. LIOG came next and the instrumentals and solos to this were AMAZING!-boyd is the man! Crash.. oh crash-it was TIGHT! everything seemed to go daves way on this song and the music just flowed. i closed my eyes for a second and thought i was in heaven-sp ily! bartender is not a fav, but it was sweet and mellow, just how it should be. true reflections was key to the show. boyd sounded great, i mean great! on this one-i give it up to him. JTR came next and quieted the crowd but DDTW followed to get the people started again- and boy did they sing their hearts out. Grace is gone "is a quiet one" but is one of dave's best song in my opinion. i love it and he played magnificently. #41-new "everyday" outro..all i can say is, i cant wait for the new album. too much blasted the crowd even more and they were hyped- boyd took it again here, might i add. jimi thing and WWYS- great combo of songs. not a big fan of them, but still great! Now for the encore -Christmas song- this made my evening- i ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SONG.. and dave and carter harmonized to this beautifully. AATW was their last song and this gave the crowd something to remember- as if this the rest of the concert wasnt enough. GREAT JOB and awesome concert!

Jack C.
tons of energy with everyone on their game. dave danced like he was posessed. One Sweet World- was an awesome opener with the instrumental intro. Granny nice and mellow like LS.Satellite- thought i heard a tease before it. Lie In Our Graves was really good tons of energy from the crowd and boyd. he was going into convulsions during his solo. towards the end he was right in front of carter. Crash nice standard version crowd liked it. Bartender nice, alot of yelling and dave ended it with more guitar at the end then usual. True Reflections pretty good it won the corwd over at the end. JTR may have stolen the show. dave danced the whole song and leroi had some sick sounds just before the outro started. Don't Drink the Water- pretty standard.Grace Is Gone- he introduced this song and it got a big cheer. nice version, better than SPAC.#41 absolutley off the hook. long version with nice guitar and a new verse "everyday" said over again a bunch of times.Too Much- great energy. Jimi Thing- awesome dave solo and everyone was singing. What Would You Say- nice closer, long leroi solo. x-mas song was good.Watchtower- tons of energy. carter threw his drumsticks after the show and dave bowed to the crowd at the end.

Matt N.
Let's just say that this show was very diffferent....but by no means different in a bad way. The show was very mellow, with the occasional jam. It was obvious that the band had played a few shows in a row and wanted to stay away from alot of the radio songs that they play all the time. here's the breakdown: OSW-solid opener. Wasn't expecting it and it was nice....the intro was one i haven't heard yet....very cool. Sat-such a beautiful song...don't get to hear it that much... Granny- very cool....standard though...again not heard taht much. LIOG-I love this song!! Boyd played a crazy solo...him and dave were playing to eachother and dancing around in a circle..funny stuff. Crash- not one of my favorites...but not to bad... dave sung the dixie chicken thing in the middle, but he's been doing that alot lately. Bartender- a solid new song..not very many people new it..i think it's growing on me..once i learn the words it will be better. TR- This made the show for me! For some reason we had the feeling he was gonna do it because Boyd had the mic ready to go....It was cool and boyd played a nice solo...i think he forgot he was singing though because he got caught on the other side of the stage when he was sapposed to sing..so he ran across and got to the mic a word late..it was funny. JTR-my fav new song...very cool outro. DDTW- I figured they would play some sort of radio song here, hoping not this one....dave, maybe TB or Ants? but it wasn't a bad version. GIG- beautiful love song..beter than Crash by far. #41- good jam and LeRoi played a superb sax solo! TM-got the crowd into it....solid JT- I really like this song...but 17 min? a little to long. Would have liked to hear an 8 min version followed by another song. but what can ya do..the solos were good. WWYS-great song..but not a set closer...i knew wathctower was coming... CS- of course they were gonna play it...i was goping for a halloween after but we got Watchtower- a good show ender..ALL in ALL and good mellow show with some different stuff mixed in. Not for the casual fan...but fun for the rest!!!

Michael A.
First props to DMB for opening the Penn St. Show w/ Blue Water. A very average set list as you can see, I knew we were getting Crash w/ the abundance of 15 year olds in the house. JTR sounded great, and I really enjoyed the new verse or outro to #41. Other than Xmas Song, he didn't play anything I've never heard before. Xmas Song was beautiful and Watchtower rocked, I was hoping for Halloween. Average set list, with a decent encore.....

Scott H.
Nice to see just the 5 doing their own thing, but I still miss Timmy. Proudest Monkey tease and new intro to Satellite. JTR - nice dancin' Dave! In fact, Dave danced pretty hard, pretty often, all night. Grace is Gone - Dave forgot a line, stepped back, smiled, then continued. #41 - "Everyday" outro...nice simple lyrics, pretty. WWYS closer - Roi, Roi, Roi. Christmas Song w/ just Carter and Dave, then started Watchtower without the others, who came back to the stage and joined in. Great show from the very first row. My simple peace sign during Christmas song elicited a wink, nod and a smile from Dave. 20 years ago to the day, one of the most peaceful men in history was murdered. I was thinking Dave may have mentioned that, but he did not. See y'all in Boston and NYC.

Sonia S.
This show seemed to lack the spunk and energy from all the other shows I've been to. It breaks my heart to have anything but positive comments about DMB. I really really really wanted to them to prove me wrong but it was mellow song after mellow song. I mean, don't get me wrong, DMB anytime, anywhere is awesome but as far as an entertaining show, this was not one of the better ones. But the conclusion that I came to was that who would not be burnt out after a tour of about 70 shows? Maybe i just miss the days of flannel pants and oriental rugs on stage, but oh well, I guess we all have to get used to the giant stardom. All in all I thought Watchtower was awesome, the new songs look real good, I'm just dying for the new album. I apologize if I've offended anyone who really loved the show. Take care and see y'all next tour!

Steven H.
Great concert! Bartender and JTR are HUGE songs (would have liked to hear Grey Street). Loved when Dave played Iko Iko with Funky Meters. Can't go wrong with Christmas Song around this time of year. Most powerful "no reason to get excited" ending to Watchtower I have ever heard/seen (I think even Dave agreed when he went on all fours after the song...). Grace is Gone is beautiful. What can I say -- overall AWESOME concert

Dan P.
Well, for my 7th Dave Matthews Band experience, I must say I was truely disappointed. There were few very good things, and they weren't enough to balance out all the bad things. First off, I want to say, this concert was teeny-bopper heaven. Just look at the setlist for one, and the crowd was absolutely horrible. One of the worst I have ever seen. During the course of the concert, I witnessed a kid a few rows in front of me puke his guts out over the seats, I saw two morons starting a fight on the floor section that had to be forcefully removed, and the crowd was just downright rude. During at least 60% of the songs, people were sitting, milling around, and leaving to go get more drinks or stupid crap. Not to mention the people who were yelling at the top of their lungs during Christmas song, which by the way all you idiots, isn't a clap along song. Its a "stand and be touched by the wonder of it" song. The only saving graces were Dave's Amazing kick ass dancing, the long set, and a few great jams. Anyway, onto the set: OSW - Not what I was calling, but good to hear anyway. I don't think 95% of the crowd knew what it was until he started the main song chords. Granny - One of my favs, a little slow, but solid. Satellite - 1st big disappointment. He started it, then stopped, I was hoping he was teasing and would play something else but he didn't. Ugh, Teeny-boppers, satisfied. Lie In Our Graves - One of the few redeeming things of the show. Solid, Awesome Boyd. Great song. Crash - 2nd Big disappointment of the night. Maybe Dave saw that the crowd was all screaming 13 year olds? Stop playing this dave, please. Bartender - teenyboppers leave cause they are idiots. It was very well played. Good Power. True Reflections - Another ok one...Boyd jammed pretty good, but forgot he had to sing too, and didn't make it back to his Mic in time. Took it a little slow too. Not bad JTR - This one of the best parts of the show. Solid, kick ass outro jam. It was awesome. More people should love this song. DDTW - 3rd major Disappointement of the night. Although it wasn't horribly bad, it was very powerful. Very tight. Still would rather hear something else. Grace Is Gone - Beautiful song, I love it...but of course, everyone sits down cause they only know radio songs. I was singing and people looked at me funny. #41 - Very mellow, almosy lacksidasical. I like this song better when its pumped up. The jam wasn't anything special either. Could have been alot better. Too Much - Solid, and right on, got the crowd back into it, even though they never should have out of it. I thought this was the closer, but I was wrong! Jimi Thing - SWEET MERICIFUL CRAP!! THANK YOU!! I knew it was coming when I heard Dave tunning. This was perhaps the best part of the whole show. Awesome Awesome Awesome. But too little too late. WWYS - Didn't want to hear it, but it wasn't a bad closer, the jam was great, and it got the crowd rocking for the finale. X-Mas Song - SHUT THE HELL UP PEOPLE!! Dave tried his best to play this beautiful song, but the crowd was horrible and disrepectful. Watchtower - brought the house down. Great jam. very energetic and powerful. great way to end a not the best concert. Other disppointments - No Halloween, ot 2 step. Overall, the 2nd worst DMB show I have seen, 1st being Vernon Downs in 98. I hope Dave redeems himself for the next show.

Robert D.
KICKASS. This was an absolute piledriver of a show. From start to finish pure balls out jamming. First the arena was awesome. Not too big, good sound. The light show was spectacular. I'll give the highlights: 1. Instrumental Intro. There is no better way to start the night. Big jam at the end of OSW with Carter just freaking out. 2. The crowd. Loud, loud, loud. And actually knowledgable of all songs. A pleasant suprise. 3. Lie In Our Graves. Brought the house down. Boyd owns, and I mean owns the crowd. You could feel the excitement grow with every note. Classic jam with Dave and Carter. Boyd hit this cool riff I've never heard on this and they just jammed the shit out of it. Dave looks at Carter here and give him a look like 'holy shit!!!'. 4. True Reflections jam. Suprisingly awesome. I am not a huge fan of the song, but am of the jam. Boyd again brings down the house. 5. #41 and Jimi Jams. All I got to say is total balls out jamming. Overall, this show was a classic one. Out of 18 total now this is definatly top 3. This is DMB in it's purest form. NO LADIES, no distractions. Just 5 guys tearing shit up.

Stick
well, this is show #5 for me and it had its positives and negatives, though no dmb show will ever be bad for me. dave seemed really into the show tonight, his dancing and rare soloing skills shone through the puking that went on in section 118. lie in our graves really got the crowds attention. that is probly 1 of my fav 5 dave songs. i've never seen satellite live so that was a cool twist. JTR was outstanding tonight the percussionist extrodinare Carter was toolin around so amazingly. Boyd was sick as hell in LIOG, True Reflections and 41. i thought this was one of the more mellow concerts until the end when we were bombarded with great songs like 41, too much, jimi thing, and what would you say. for the encore, the bastard teeny boppers with their "i love you dave's" kinda screwed up the sweetness of the Christmas song, but i loved it nonetheless. and watchtower was as amazing as i've seen it. all in all, show was probably a B, but i love the band so it always is an A+ experience!

LieNrGrvs
Hey ya'll..Ok doors opened at 6 pm last night and the 4 others I was with, well we were freezing our butts off so we just went in right then. Our seats were in section 216 and they blew...but since we were early enough I decided to walk down about 10 rows up from the floor. Since it was so early NO SECURITY..and by the grace of god no one ever showed up in those seats..so i ended up having like 10th row great view!!! Ok onto the show. First off Funky Meters- Wayyyy cool they got the blood pumping and set the tone for what would be a fun night. Dave came out for the 3rd to last song and jammed with them on IKO IKO a cool little ditty. After the Meters got off, it was about another 20 mins before DMB took the stage around 8:20. The place was screaming it was quite loud and Dave greeted the welcoming atmosphere with his traditional "Hello Albany thanks for comming out and joining us tonite" A bright light shined on Dave as he stood about 2 feet away from the mic and started playing the intro to OSW. Perhaps my favorite opener, OSW always gets the crowd in a festive mood, as it is such a happy song. Following OSW, Dave turned to Carter real quick who held up his hand and counted 1,2,3,4 then the familiar riff to Granny. Another fun song played well tonite with Dave doing his patented dance as he huffed out "Hoo Ha Hoo" Good version of Granny tonite. Next came satellite, I dont like the song live so tonite I opted to admire the lights during this song and it was pretty sweet. There were huge snowflakes beaming on the ceiling of the arena and it looked really neat. Still satellite was one I could have done without. Next came my absolute favorite song hands down LIOG. Who doesnt dance like its your job during Boyd's furious jams and Carter pounding on his drums. The pause before Dave closes out the song is always neat, as this night Dave mocked Carter by "air drumming" Great version tonite, Boyd's hair looked as if it was gonna come off it was shakin so fast. Crash into me next, a lotta the ladies in the place still love it, and it is a beautiful song just played too damn much. All the same I did sing along. Dave grabbed his 12 string next and I called Bartender...he didnt let me down a nice version of this song he really wailed on it too, but I was upset that the crowd seemed dull during this b/c they didnt know the words. I liked this version a lot tonite..True Reflections followed, and it was almost border-line funny b/c the crowd is so sick of this song myself included there was almost no cheer when Dave played the verse riff. Boyd kept it somewhat enjoyable with his violin licks though..Dave busted out his 12 string again and played a killer JTR..Definitely one of the highlights tonite, he was all over the stage dancin and prancin like only he can...Very energetic jam and the lights were super cool during this song..awesome...DDTW came next, maybe overplayed but I was in the mood to hear it tonite and the crowd agreed..Fairly normal version if you could ever call this song normal b/c dave really wails during the chorus..definitely another highlight though good song..It was the perfect time to slow things down after this and Dave did..He talked to the crowd about his next song, a slow one called Grace is Gone..it seemed I was one of maybe 10 people in the whole arena to know the words..most people sat down but I stood and sang b/c I appreciate Dave's variety of songs. After a quick rest the crowd was ready again and the boys delivered with a great #41..the Jam was great again Dave dancing- tonite he was moving more than I had ever seen before and he was just overall in a happy mood. The outtro holds the same title as the upcomming album-everyday- and it was really neat..he talked about everyday, get your hands dirty..everyday just spread the love..it was new, yet well received by all of us.. Too much came next and while it isnt a huge favorite of mine I still like it a real lot. While this show was fairly mellow with the exception of Dave's dancing, this song was tight and the stage was rocking..It has been two years since I heard him say "suck it up, lick it up, and FUCK it up" back in my hometown in CT, but tonite he did it again and the crowd went berserk. Best version I've heard of this and definitely a highlight. The band wasnt outta energy yet by a longshot, as Jimi Thing came next..and while it was fairly normal, Dave again proved to be the exception as he danced the most on this song than any other..He went right along the edge of the stage pigeon toed and all then swung up and down bringing his guitar with him..YEAH DAVE!!!..The last song of the set WWYS was also killer...for some reason the whole crowd myself included really grooved to it..the jam as always was great, and it was a nice way to close the set..As the band took a 7 or so minute break I was thinking what a lot of you probably are..the setlist tonite wasnt spectacular but the versions were for the most part quite solid, and what put them over the edge was Dave's dancing..I was awed by his energy ..Anyways to the encore: THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY NIGHT..OTHER PEOPLE WRITING REVIEWS PLEASE SAY YOU CAUGHT AT LEAST A PART OF THIS NEXT SCENE: Dave and Carter come out solo and they take a real long time before they actually play..during one quiet part some force inside me felt it necessary to scream HALLOWEEEEEN, and I dont ever do that..To my surprise Dave heard this and goes "Haha, its NOT Halloween" It was soooooo awesome..a couple seconds later he played the chords to the Xmas song and I was blown away. I have to respect him so much more for playing this near the holidays and all..great version with the "you cant buy it" outtro..Even non-catholics were into it, as Dave had stressed previously in the tour its just a simple story, not religous..Following that, the rest of the band came out, with Roi trailing walking really slow it was awesome..Dave played like two strings and I instantly knew it was watchtower..he looked up at my section 120, and a ton of people were making W's with their hands..he smiled..after snapping a string on the intro he went into the song..And while it wasnt the best version I have heard, its like DDTW, theres never a non-energetic version.. The band left with Dave thanking the crowd "very very much" and I left in great spirits..A solid show tonite...see ya'll in MSG (4th row floor) and Providence (8 row floor) goodnight~ Mike

Jake
The Dave Matthews Band lived up and exceeded all expectations for music's "Best Live Act" during Saturday night's show at the sold out Pepsi Arena. Dave came out and introduced the Funky Meters, an excellent opening act to get the crowd going on a chilly night in upstate NY. The Meters played some funky beats and groovy instrumentals, and definitely had the approval of a house that was almost packed in tight. DMB hit the stage around 8:20, and started off with "One Sweet World," a great opener, and "Granny," which set the tone for an amazing evening. "Satellite," though not one of my favorites, had the endorsement of the crowd, and was supported by great instrumentals, especially the Sax solo by Leroi. The band then went into a 13-minute version of "Lie in Our Graves." In the absence of Butch Taylor, who always makes this song awesome, Boyd had an amazing solo, at one point turning his back to the crowd and playing facing Carter, completely immersed in the music. As always, "Crash" was spectacular. No matter how many times I hear it, I get goosebumps every time I hear it live, especially during the 'Dixie Chicken' outro. The crowd was really into this one. "Bartender" was powerful, and Dave was going crazy, really getting into it as he sang the lines "I'm on bended knee." Boyd got another moment to shine on "True Reflections," and Dave's backup vocals were met with wild applause and screaming. Dave then switched to a 12-string guitar, so die-hard fans knew that "JTR" was on the way. This song has come a long way since June, and the album version is sure to be a hit. For the fourth straight time in the Capital Region, the band rocked the house with a commanding version of "Don't Drink the Water." Dave was stomping around all over the stage, and Stefan was grooving on the bass. Dave, like myself, never stopped dancing the whole night. Every time he broke into his funky sidestep dance moves, the crowd roared with approval. From there my highlight of the show began with a quiet, but emotional "Grace is Gone," definitely my favorite from the new album due out in February. Dave never fails to let the crowd down, and he and the band answered every one of my prayers with an amazing version of my personal favorite, "#41." There was absolutely no weakness in this song, as every band member came together to create an epic lasting well over 10 minutes. Dave and Boyd squared off, jamming as they had all night. Near the end of the jam, Dave began singing new verses, each one ending "everyday." As the title of the new album, this was an awesome preview of what is to come from the band. "Too Much" was absolutely wild, many of the fans remembering the "Too Much Tease" from SPAC in August. "Jimi Thing" was an all out jam, and even included a guitar solo by Dave. To finish the set, the band needed to play something upbeat, and they came through, with a crazy version of "What Would You Say." Even though it's a radio song, I still was hoping to hear, just to hear the crowd chant "Mom it's my birthday!," considering the show fell on the birthday of a good friend of mine. After about a nine-minute break, during which the decibel level in the arena rose to unheard of levels, Dave and Carter returned to play the December staple, "Christmas Song." Always a sweet song, and it was made even better with an "All you need is love, can't buy me love" outro. The only thing that would have been any better would have been if Dave surprised everyone with "I'll Back You Up," but I guess I'll have to wait a little longer to hear it live. To close the show, the rest of the band emerged and played an absolutely tight "All Along the Watchtower." The energy in the building was off the charts. When it finally ended, the band saluted the crowd and turned to exit the stage. However, with the crowd chanting his name, Dave quickly turned around, went to the front of the stage, fell to his knees and bowed to the capacity crowd. As if it wasn't loud enough already, the noise rose to deafening levels. Altogether, it was an unforgettable show, by far the best ever in the Capital Region. Just think, there's only about 6 months till DMB Summer 2001 Tour!!! See ya then!

Matt T.
My 7th DMB show and as always the band was awesome. One Sweet World was a great opening, followed by one of my favorites Granny. Boyd and Dave were really givin it during True Reflections. I can sit and talk about how great the show was great, but I think people need to know how horrible the crowd was. No energy at all, especially those in the great seats. It was sick to see people to respond like that, if I was Dave I honestly dont know if that crowd would warrant a return of my presence. It was too bad because i know tons of people that would have loved to be there. Dave needs to come to Canada.

Matthew S.
Ahh, Albany. Home of the mellowest crowd I've ever seen. Settled into my Warehouse seats (sec 121.. gee, thanks; the $30 check for next year is in the mail...) right as the Funky Meters were going off, sorry I missed them. OSW was a decent opener, although a little short. Granny is always a treat, this was one of the better ones. Satellite. Again. This time I noticed just how much Carter does even during the slow songs. That guy is amazing, purely amazing. LIOG is my favorite song to see live, and Roi's tiny solo would have been nice, but Boyd was plenty on. At the end I realized how easily the end would go into the stop-time Warehouse intro... hopefully. Crash. Again. Bartender was sweet, I love the way Boyd opens it with the one, thick violin stroke. True was alright, I knew it was coming when I saw his vocal mike, he nearly missed the start of the last verse, had to run from approx. Dave's position back to his spot to start singing again. True is one of the songs that the ladies make better. JTR has only gotten better and better, they closed up the part where they took out the "John the Revelator" line (listen to early summer 2000 to hear how choppy it is), and the ending jam is awesome nowadays. Don't Drink. Again. Well, we got the Big 3.. Crash, Sat, Don't Drink. Made lotsa people happy. After DDTW, I saw Roi holding the soprano, and Boyd uh, resining his bow (which he was doing all night). Thought LLD (still waiting for it), nevertheless, pleased to see Grace, similar to end-Summer versions (where the chorus goes a little faster), happy that it's still around. #41 is a great song to see live, Roi finally woke up, and showed us a good time. At this point, I knew they needed a heavy, single-type song. Called Too Much, got it. So, we weren't going to have an ASTB, I can deal. After hearing all the news about short winter shows, I was afraid Too Much was gonna close it, but when he started Jimi, I knew we had at least 2 left, one of which was gonna be the great-jamming Jimi. No 'dirty rascal' from Roi, but the solos were still enough for me. WWYS, a good, solid set closer, brought down the set nicely. Long, really looooong encore break, only Dave and Carter came out, which made me pray for Halloween, but Christmas was both expected, good, and preserved my streak of hearing at least 1 new song every show (this was #8). Christmas ended, and still no sign of the other 3. On my knees wanting Halloween, but the band was quick to come out, and finished us off with a very excellent Watchtower. Overall, a very solid show, Halloween/Cortez/Two Step would have been nice, a little Dave-o-centric (although he was dancing more than I've ever seen before.. even Stefan was doing the Dave dance), FENTON RULES. The lighting was just spectacular. I did come all the way from Montreal for this one, and it could have been better, but I'm quietly content with the show the boys put on.

Andy M.
What an amazing show. Dave started out with one of my fav. jams, One Sweet World. Boyd and Carter were on fire! Crazy jams for Too Much, Jimi Thing, Lie In Our Graves, and #41 (with the "Everyday" outro). Amazing setlist and great energy. The guys know how to put on a show.

Phill M.
so this being my twelfth show, i would have to say this one rates right up there. this is the first time i've ever sat behind the stage, and being 6 rows back was awesome. you can see so much more and hear what the instruments sound like firsthand. the set was incredible...OSW was a great opener and i always love hearing granny. satellite had an interesting tease into it also. bartender seems to have a changed a bit since the summer, a slower tempo maybe? GIG was sweet too, even though dave messed up the second verse, giving it another shot in the third verse! too much got everyone pumped and its always great to hear JT. AATW was incredible....fast paced throughout the whole thing while leroi was tearin it up on the sax. all in all, an awesome show. only one complaint...IF YOUR SEATS ARE AS AWESOME AS THE ONE'S NEAR US, THEN DON'T EXPECT ANYONE TO SIT DOWN FOR YOU!!! GET YOUR ASS UP AND ENJOY THE SHOW!!!!

Sammy K.
Just 3 quick notes from a guy who went to college in Richmond, VA so I've been seeing Dave since the Trax/FloodZone days (over 70 shows). 1. Dave won't groove unless you do! The show was mellow because the crowd was mellow. Get up and funk it out a little- they will respond. 2. Please don't start clapping during the quiet moments. When the band comes off a heavy jam (ala the middle of "graves") let them go on their own. Although thousands of people clapping in unison works for some bands, it tends to take away form what can be a pretty solid moment. In fact, often you can hear Carter play opposite the beat of the clappers indicating to them that it is time to stop. 3. Respect the opening band. This wasn't Corey Harris or some other dufus who deserves to be treated like an opening band. We had the Funky Meters! These guys are twice as talented as DMB and they know it. Show them respect or we will no longer be treated to such tasty music. Thank you for giving us this space to converse. Happy Holidays to all and continue on until the phabulous boys of Phish return.

Matt
Ok we got to the show and we knew somethin special was about to go down. Funky Meters was one of the best opening bands ive seen in ten dave concerts....This is including beck, ben folds, soul coughing, etc. They were that good, very much similar to phish. and dave helped em out with one song which jacked the crowd up. Onto the concert....OSW: One of the most perfect songs to start a concert, pretty much a song that everyone can get into. Daves acoustic solo set the tone for the night, and it totally amazed the crowd: Granny: One of my fav. dave songs since released on L@LC with Tim Reynolds. Seen it 3 times with lovely ladies who dont fail at ruining it every time, and this one completely got the crowd into it. Compared to crash as a song: so much better. Satellite: Totally surprised the crowd when satellite and crash in same concert. Got the older dave fans going, and teeny boppers sat down.LIOG: There is no way to ruin this song. Boyd owned the crowd on this one as he always does...security had to drag my ass back from runnin to the front row.Crash: Seen it before, always good, appeased the crowd who knows nothing about dave. 'nuff said.Bartender: HE started it, and everone was like DDTW. def knew better...he came out and blew the crowd away. One of my fav. songs on the "July 11" album heh heh. True Reflections: Never heard it in concert...but again better witout the lovely ladies. Im sensing a down w/ lovely ladies pattern here. Good backups by Carter too.JTR: Crowd didnt know this. Our section did! Dave fans in our section kicked ass...amazing as always, best ever @ Giants Stadium though. DDTW: Got the crowd pumped. Really wanna see alanis do it with him once.Grace is Gone: My new fav. dave song. Amazing writing, sweet song, classic Dave. Heard it once before, but nothing compared to seeing in this arena. good solos by dave.#41: Could you possibly show me a better song? THis jam was so damn unbelievable, and the fact that dave threw in the "Everday" verses. I woulda paid 40 to see this one s ong.Too much: always amazing concert song.WWYS: Amazing closer..the crowd never sat dow after this. The jam was incredible, and this song is always good. prolly one of the top 3 on UTD... Christmas SOng /Watchtower: One amazing encore...watchtower rocked the crowd. boyd and co. had to run ont he stage when the realized what dave was playing lol....overall great show, amazing setlist, good crowd, even older peeople were great. Pepsi arena...amazing concert pavilion.

Jarrod H.
Another stellar set from dave and the boys. This was my 5th show, and I must say that the playing and the jamming were as tight as i have ever heard the band sound. Dave was dancing like a madman, even more than usually on Saturday, which was definitely a treat to watch. OSW is a great opener for a show. Even though it's a more mellow pace, it just seems to put the people in the mood early.I read some reviews where people complain about the amount of "radio songs" and the young age of a lot of the concertgoers. This is inevitable, and there is no point getting angry. If you know you are a true fan, then just support Dave by knowing all the words and just singing, instead of being resentful. Plus, anything these guys sounds great anyway, so being there is enough for me. While I personally would have rather heard someting else besides Crash and DDTW, they were still marvelously played, and I didn't mind at all. My first Jimi Thing in concert was something to behold, as well as the best LIOG as I had seen in my 5 shows. Boyd Tinsley, went spastic (but in a good way) during this song. His solo seriously had to be about 5 minutes alone. #41 seemed cool and more mellow, and Too mch rocked. The encore was great, as well. Sweet, sweet Christmas Song, with a rocking (and when I say rocking I mean it was the loudest I had heard a croud as well) Watchtower to end on a strong note. Well, al in all a very cool, well played show. Can't wait for MSG tonight!

Jason C.
This show was off the hook, the only problem was, the crowd wasnt to energetic. Our section,219, was goin nuts, then all of a sudden i look and the one next to me is sitting chillin, doin nothin, very frusterating. But n e way, one sweet world surprised me, it was great, im glad i saw it, especially with the nice intro which blew my mind. Granny was great, a lot of energy in that song. Then he played satellite which was good, nothing new but it still rocks. LIOG was soooo raw, boyd was goin crazy, so much energy in that song and in the band. Crash was nice classic tune, the dixie chicken was great glad to hear that. Bartender, TR, JTR, DDW and grace is gone were all good, a lot of energy, grace was nice song to calm things down. Then he hits us with 41# which kicked so much ass especially with the new everyday verse, such a great song, yall gotta hear the new verse. too much and jimi thing rocked, and what would you say was a really cool song to play, out of no where he comes up with it. Then Dave comes back out with carter and plays xmas song which was beautiful and just nice. Watchtower teared the roof off the the arena cuz there was so much energgy in the crowd and band things went haywire. all in all this was a great show.

Graig F.
This show was full of energy, but lacking some of the songs that would have made it one of the great ones. Dave and Co. were really into it tonight, with Dave showing some rare glimpses of high octane energy (ie: doing his pattented buddha like bow to the audience before exiting stage). They put a lot of this energy into the show, but I was continually hoping to hear something to get me going. Don't get me wrong, the DMB trademarks, DDTW, Satellite, Crash, WWYS, etc. were great, but like most people I have already heard those and was looking for something new. A few things that stick out to me: 1) Little Baby Jam intro to OSW. Great job guys, no one around me had a clue what it was, very mellow, and well done. 2)Boyd vs. Carter during LIOG, Boyd stood directly in front of Carter's drum set, and they went off, trading licks, It was really intense. 3)"Everyday" outro to #41, Dave stepped to the mic and I had no clue what he was doing, I was like,"there aren't any more lines to this song...", but he surprised me and everyone else with a little glimpse of the future. 4)Dave's solo during the Jimi Thing jam was amazing, he went on for a good 2 1/2 minutes, playing intriquitely and beautifully, who says he can't play the guitar? I was hoping for a little more out of the encore (Halloween, or Two Step) but all in all it was a great closer. Peace.

Andrew H.
Well, all and al great show! I loved when dave came out and played akio, akio with funky meters, i knew it would be a good night. As the band took the stage i was thinking as an opener would be song that jane likes, and dave played a few chords from that but it turned out to be a jam intro into one sweet world witch was a good but suprising opener. then granny witch was typical granny but with the whole crowd yelling love and baby it was pretty neat good song to put after osw. satelite not my fav really nothing new to it but ok not the less was ok. lie in our graves was wicked cool, boyd's solo kicked and him and dave running around on stage was cool. crash with dixie chicken witch i hear like 2 and a half years ago, it was typical as usual to most show in the last 3 years. bartender wicth i only heard with dave and tim last year. it was very good, had good some good jams. true reflections, yeah i was so happy! me and my buddy matt were like hey True reflections, boyd seemed to forget he had to sing but it was wicked song to put in. JTR wicth i only hear as we were going to the concert. it was pretty cool, the jams were ok but hard to hear lyrics. don't drink the water was pretty good, nothing new to it some good instrumentals but that was about it. grace is gone, and dave was like this is a sweeet song and it was. first time i heard it and i tell ya it was quality. 41 now this was werid. i wanted to hear this and the begining was good solos were jamming and then dave when on about mountains and every day with was messed up. we were like whats he saying but all and all good song. too much was next figured it was coming looking at carter seeming like he was ready for a harded druming song. very good not much to it could have done more to it but at least they played the whole thihng. jimi thing with was cool as soon as they started to play it but after it was over 17 minutes later i was like that was too long but solos were good and structer was all there. what would you say was set closer which was good. i've never seen it live so i was happy about that and all and all a good ender but i was looking for watchtower there. encore was christmas song with carter and dave with every one was thinking. good verison better then last time they played it at pepsi but without tim. now as soon as the rest of the band was coming out i was looking for halloween wicth matt was saying ould hve been good and i wanted it too but they ending with just watchtower witch was totally cool. dave started real slow and i thought this is going to be the best verison i'ver ever hear and it was. carter's drum solo at the end was great and boyd's violin added just the touch to it. and dave broke like 3 strings at the end so it seemed to end early but still best watchtower i've ever heard. all and all great show for the harded fans i say not as good for the paster byers. set was 2 hrs 4 minutes encore was 18 minutes for a entire 2 hrs 22 min show.

Brandon L.
Well i was hoping theyd play One sweet world cuz i've never seen it live and they opened with it so i thought it was gonna be a bomb show. i was WRONG!! i have been to 7 DMB shows and this was the worst by far. Not only the setlist but the crowd. I was the only one in my section standing. Granny, same as usual. Satellite, are you serious cmon dave. LIOG was awesome one of the highlights Boyd went off like always. Crash, once again come on dave. Bartender, ok, i heard it all three shows i saw in the summer. TRUE, they cant play this song without the lovely ladies its just not the same.JTR, usual. Dont drink the water, usual. The vibe here was not good at all, not upbeat at all.Grace, after crash this was one that i would kill myself if i heard but guess what i heard it.The last four songs werew great it made up for the beginnig. 41's jam rocked.Too much was usaul but i love that song. Jimi dave went off for a minute very unusual, it was my fav. part of the show.What would you say always rocks. Christmas song was expected, nice. Watchtower same as most. Overall this show was not worth the 4 hour trek i took and they totally ended at 11 what up with that??

Stephanie P.
This was probably one of the best Dave shows I have ever been to! I loved the fact that he played so much of his "old" stuff yet put a special spin to make the songs sound fresh. I loved the new ending to #41! And it was great to hear Satellite live again. I really wanted to hear the Christmas Song so I was psyched when he performed it as his first encore. Grace is Gone was very sad and I loved the version of Jimi Thing. While there were many songs he didn't play that I wished he had, overall it was a great show. You can tell he is near the end of this leg of his tour because he was dancing up a storm. He got funky more than Funky Meters! -Stephanie